Here we are, nearing the end of the second week of school. I am exhausted. I forgot how psychologically intense it is to teach a new class. Whew! I fell asleep on the sofa after dinner tonight and slept straight through the Democratic nominee's acceptance speech-- rats! (, she said with a hint of sarcasm, working the ambiguity inherent in the sentence.)
You know it's been a long week when you can't remember how to spell lettuce. Kelsey had to look it up on her iTouch spelling game to prove to me just how fried my brain is right now.
Anyway... I haven't written anything here in a while, but I have been writing. I babysat Lasting Divergence again this week. It was fun. If you haven't been there, check out the post titled "Dinner Time - Part 2" and try out some of the questions. Click here to go to the Lasting Divergence blog.
Our family has tried some of these conversation-starters at dinner before and I've even used a few as icebreakers for my journalism class. I have typed the questions and printed them on card stock and cut them up and placed them in a blue mesh pouch. My students come in and ask everyday if we can do the question bag.
Tomorrow is Athletic Events Day for our family. Kelsey has a volleyball game and Zane plays in his first JV football game. At the same time, of course. But uncharacteristic of our manic schedule for the moment, they're at least playing at the same school
Not sure I'm ready for football. It's a far cry from the little league guys, looking like Michelin men as they bounce off each other. And of course, Zane plays center on offense and guard on defense. Please pray.
One good thing I've discovered so far this football season is that Dorothy and I watch games exactly the same way... field, cheerleaders, conversation with friends, "What happened? Oh, thanks," concession stand, wave at buddies walking by, plan future tailgating, "Who just scored?"
On the other hand, Roland and Jimmy watch the game with the same competitive (understatement) spirit. Jimmy's in the press box working the clock this season. Tomorrow night, Roland will join him there. When you think of it, a high school press box does look a little like an old fashioned clubhouse, doesn't it?
Off to upstairs... I would say off to bed, but that's a good hour away now, as there is ironing and showering and quiet timing on the list ahead of slumbering.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Dress Code Mom
Humility is a good thing, but learning to be humble isn't particularly fun.
For the past three years I been involved with the dress code assembly at our kids' (Christian) school. At one point, I would walk down the halls and hear girls yell, "Hey... Dress Code Mom!" It became sort of a running joke. The first year was wildly fun. The second, moderately fun. Last year, ugh...
Last year I was in charge of the whole deal. Now, I don't have a whole lot of sense, but what little sense I do have, I used to ask my sweet friend and fellow crusader-for-girls-to-make-wise-choices, Jenn, to talk about modesty. I stuck with two other tasks... producing a video of a panel of guys who gave their candid opinions of modest and immodest fashions and directing the fashion show of modest, dress-code-friendly fashion trends for the year.
Somewhere along the way I got the brilliant idea of asking the moms to stay after for a little devotional and discussion of the dress code. In my dreams, I'd seen it as a giant encouragement session where moms would share and hug and agree to treasure their little princesses all the days of their lives. In reality... not so much. But more on that later.
The video rocked. Props to my bud, Jason. If you are one of the micro-numbers of people I've not bugged to watch it yet, you can see it by clicking here. (And if you are one of the mega-numbers of people I've asked to watch it, but you've blown me off each time: 1) Shame on you; and 2) The link will work for you too.)
The fashion show was amazing. The girls wore their own clothes, but they dressed in a variety of super-cute, super-fashionable, modest outfits. I wrote the script. And there's where the ugliness started.
When I first started to prepare for the fashion show, I had a question about one point in the dress code. In the school handbook, it says that girls may wear capri pants that are at least mid-calf in length. Mid-calf, huh? Wonder what they consider mid-calf, I pondered. Better safe than sorry, I thought, so I had Kelsey put on a pair of capris that were borderline. I snapped a digital photo and emailed it to the principal in charge of dress code for girls. She said "NOT dress code. NOT mid-calf." Okee Dokee.
We worked it into the script and one model had a pair of capris that were cuffed. With the cuffs turned up, the pants were out of dress code. Turned down, they were fine. That's what the script said.
Once the fashion show was over, Jenn spoke about choosing to be royalty as opposed of opting for being "common." After all, we are daughters of the King. She rocked. Always does.
Then the middle and high school girls headed out for the last of their opening day assemblies and we stayed in the Fine Arts Center with the moms. Remember, I thought it was going to be a love fest. With that in mind, I thought the best thing to do would be have a little devotional to encourage the moms with God's Word. Sadly, the dress code principal had to leave to attend another meeting, so when question time came around.... Whoa! That was intense. I had NO idea capri length was so controversial.
I was floored by the sense of entitlement I was hearing. The outright questioning of authority. The lack of submission to the rules of the school that existed before any of the families applied to attend the school.
And then I was humbled. I heard my own voice saying almost exactly the same things that the other moms were saying. Only instead of it being my actual voice in the moment, it was an echo of my voice from the past, when I sat across the desk from a principal, explaining how ridiculous the dress code was at our previous school. Right there in that moment, I repented in my heart for my lack of respect for the leaders of our last school.
Thankfully, Jenn was there to bail me out. She jumped in and pointed out what an excellent reputation the school has and how many people who want to be there can't go there, for whatever reason. I am so grateful the Lord put Jenn there at that moment to be the voice of reason, reminding us of the privilege of Christian education and our duty as believers to submit to authority. It was way cool.
I have since learned that the way to change something is through prayer. Without fail, either the Lord intervenes and changes the situation or...even greater... He graciously changes my heart. He is so good.
So... Dress Code Mom is now officially retired from her former duties. Tomorrow morning I will step into a school classroom for the first time in 14 years to teach students how to write about the world from a Christian world view.
Emily P will speak about modesty to the mothers and daughters. Pray for her.
And pray for me too. I am so very excited about the new adventure and eager to see what awesome things... beyond all I can ask or imagine... the Lord is going to do.
For the past three years I been involved with the dress code assembly at our kids' (Christian) school. At one point, I would walk down the halls and hear girls yell, "Hey... Dress Code Mom!" It became sort of a running joke. The first year was wildly fun. The second, moderately fun. Last year, ugh...
Last year I was in charge of the whole deal. Now, I don't have a whole lot of sense, but what little sense I do have, I used to ask my sweet friend and fellow crusader-for-girls-to-make-wise-choices, Jenn, to talk about modesty. I stuck with two other tasks... producing a video of a panel of guys who gave their candid opinions of modest and immodest fashions and directing the fashion show of modest, dress-code-friendly fashion trends for the year.
Somewhere along the way I got the brilliant idea of asking the moms to stay after for a little devotional and discussion of the dress code. In my dreams, I'd seen it as a giant encouragement session where moms would share and hug and agree to treasure their little princesses all the days of their lives. In reality... not so much. But more on that later.
The video rocked. Props to my bud, Jason. If you are one of the micro-numbers of people I've not bugged to watch it yet, you can see it by clicking here. (And if you are one of the mega-numbers of people I've asked to watch it, but you've blown me off each time: 1) Shame on you; and 2) The link will work for you too.)
The fashion show was amazing. The girls wore their own clothes, but they dressed in a variety of super-cute, super-fashionable, modest outfits. I wrote the script. And there's where the ugliness started.
When I first started to prepare for the fashion show, I had a question about one point in the dress code. In the school handbook, it says that girls may wear capri pants that are at least mid-calf in length. Mid-calf, huh? Wonder what they consider mid-calf, I pondered. Better safe than sorry, I thought, so I had Kelsey put on a pair of capris that were borderline. I snapped a digital photo and emailed it to the principal in charge of dress code for girls. She said "NOT dress code. NOT mid-calf." Okee Dokee.
We worked it into the script and one model had a pair of capris that were cuffed. With the cuffs turned up, the pants were out of dress code. Turned down, they were fine. That's what the script said.
Once the fashion show was over, Jenn spoke about choosing to be royalty as opposed of opting for being "common." After all, we are daughters of the King. She rocked. Always does.
Then the middle and high school girls headed out for the last of their opening day assemblies and we stayed in the Fine Arts Center with the moms. Remember, I thought it was going to be a love fest. With that in mind, I thought the best thing to do would be have a little devotional to encourage the moms with God's Word. Sadly, the dress code principal had to leave to attend another meeting, so when question time came around.... Whoa! That was intense. I had NO idea capri length was so controversial.
I was floored by the sense of entitlement I was hearing. The outright questioning of authority. The lack of submission to the rules of the school that existed before any of the families applied to attend the school.
And then I was humbled. I heard my own voice saying almost exactly the same things that the other moms were saying. Only instead of it being my actual voice in the moment, it was an echo of my voice from the past, when I sat across the desk from a principal, explaining how ridiculous the dress code was at our previous school. Right there in that moment, I repented in my heart for my lack of respect for the leaders of our last school.
Thankfully, Jenn was there to bail me out. She jumped in and pointed out what an excellent reputation the school has and how many people who want to be there can't go there, for whatever reason. I am so grateful the Lord put Jenn there at that moment to be the voice of reason, reminding us of the privilege of Christian education and our duty as believers to submit to authority. It was way cool.
I have since learned that the way to change something is through prayer. Without fail, either the Lord intervenes and changes the situation or...even greater... He graciously changes my heart. He is so good.
So... Dress Code Mom is now officially retired from her former duties. Tomorrow morning I will step into a school classroom for the first time in 14 years to teach students how to write about the world from a Christian world view.
Emily P will speak about modesty to the mothers and daughters. Pray for her.
And pray for me too. I am so very excited about the new adventure and eager to see what awesome things... beyond all I can ask or imagine... the Lord is going to do.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Carolina Beach
Yes... the picture in the header is from the access across from our condo at Carolina Beach.
If you're missing the ocean and would like to see a live shot, check out the CB Surf Cam.
Hot Wax Surf Shop
If you're missing the ocean and would like to see a live shot, check out the CB Surf Cam.
Hot Wax Surf Shop
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Crocks...
...as in pot... not shoes. Although, I have eaten some crock pot meals that would have left me hard-pressed to say whether it was a shoe or formerly a food substance. Plus, you spell the shoes without a "k" at the end... Crocs.
There was a time not long ago when I announced that crock pots were so very 1970's and boxed up the two I had and took them over to Goodwill. Later, when I resurrected the old chili recipe, I found myself the owner of two crock pots once again. That is a long story for another day. Or maybe never. It's not really exciting.
Where was I? Oh, yes. Crock pot-a-phobia.
I love cooking fresh food quickly. We're BIG fans of various types of stir fry and I would MUCH rather eat a veggie raw that to see the life slowly stewed out of it in a giant pot cooking all day. But desperate times call for desperate measures. And I am there.
Without getting into the details of the mania that is the schedule this fall, just trust me when I say that I'm going to need some new strategies.
So... cooking friends... if you have a great crock pot recipe or knowledge of the ultimate slow-cooking website that doesn't kill innocent veggies by cooking them until they are unrecognizable piles of mush, will you be SO kind as to post a comment?
THANKS!!!
There was a time not long ago when I announced that crock pots were so very 1970's and boxed up the two I had and took them over to Goodwill. Later, when I resurrected the old chili recipe, I found myself the owner of two crock pots once again. That is a long story for another day. Or maybe never. It's not really exciting.
Where was I? Oh, yes. Crock pot-a-phobia.
I love cooking fresh food quickly. We're BIG fans of various types of stir fry and I would MUCH rather eat a veggie raw that to see the life slowly stewed out of it in a giant pot cooking all day. But desperate times call for desperate measures. And I am there.
Without getting into the details of the mania that is the schedule this fall, just trust me when I say that I'm going to need some new strategies.
So... cooking friends... if you have a great crock pot recipe or knowledge of the ultimate slow-cooking website that doesn't kill innocent veggies by cooking them until they are unrecognizable piles of mush, will you be SO kind as to post a comment?
THANKS!!!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
ENF... J?!
My friend (Melinda) sent me yet another personality test, which I took, being the fool for online tests that I am.
Oh. My. Word. I am now an ENFJ! I have always, always, always been an ENFP. Me and Melinda and James Dobson. But now... ENFJ?????
How did THAT happen?!
Must be all those books I've been forced to finish reading recently. Or maybe it's the rapidly approaching deadline for the journalism curriculum guide.
Hummm... I'm going to have to go ponder this one.
Oh. My. Word. I am now an ENFJ! I have always, always, always been an ENFP. Me and Melinda and James Dobson. But now... ENFJ?????
How did THAT happen?!
Must be all those books I've been forced to finish reading recently. Or maybe it's the rapidly approaching deadline for the journalism curriculum guide.
Hummm... I'm going to have to go ponder this one.
Tsunami!
From our sweet little Island Gazette at Carolina Beach/Kure Beach, NC... This has to be one of the funniest front page pictures I've seen-- picture, headline, caption and all.
You know, if you get a minute, it's well worth the read to peruse the depths of the IG. Makes me want to move there sometimes when I read all about how Domino's donated pizzas and soft drinks to the third grade class at Carolina Beach Elementary for their end of the year party. Different moms provided chocolate chip and sugar cookies.
In Case Of Tsunami; Run Like The Stick Man
News - Local News
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
KURE BEACH, N.C. - On the beachfront, a sign facing away from the ocean to alert people on the beach to evacuate in case of a tsunami. Seems somewhat pointless in the event of a tsunami, but does serve to increase public awareness. Although it appears the stick figure waited far too long before deciding to run.
You know, if you get a minute, it's well worth the read to peruse the depths of the IG. Makes me want to move there sometimes when I read all about how Domino's donated pizzas and soft drinks to the third grade class at Carolina Beach Elementary for their end of the year party. Different moms provided chocolate chip and sugar cookies.
In Case Of Tsunami; Run Like The Stick Man
News - Local News
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
KURE BEACH, N.C. - On the beachfront, a sign facing away from the ocean to alert people on the beach to evacuate in case of a tsunami. Seems somewhat pointless in the event of a tsunami, but does serve to increase public awareness. Although it appears the stick figure waited far too long before deciding to run.
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